Accra May 18, GNA- A human rights activist on Thursday, prayed the nine member Justice Mensah Committee of Inquiry on the April 8 Volta Lake Disaster to widen its scope in investigating circumstances surrounding eviction of the settlers.
Nana Oye Lithur, Coordinator of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa Office also requested for a moratorium on all forced evictions pending the drawing of sustainable resettlement plan. Taking her turn at the committee's sitting in Accra, Nana Oye noted that forced eviction of the settlers constituted violation of human rights under the constitution since most of the evictees did not have access to shelter, food and medical facilities.
Nana Oye declared that under the constitution and international convention, govern ment had the obligation to look for suitable place for the evictees. She further requested an alternative package plan that would consider the settlers' sources of livelihood, stressing, "That all regulations on water transportation be enforced to avoid similar accidents on the lake."
Nana Oye said in February and April this year, CHRI had information on the plight of the evictees and therefore, sent a fact-finding team to Mancheri Island.
She said after the team had returned to Accra, CHRI contacted the Director of Game and Wildlife in Accra to ascertain more information surrounding the eviction and was informed that the eviction had been on the drawing board for a long time.
According to Nana Oye, the Director of Game and Wildlife denied that personnel of the Department forced the people onto the boat. She said CHRI organised a press conference to express its worry on the boat disaster and forced eviction.
"Two days after our return from Mancheri Island we heard about the eviction," she added.
Nana Oye explained that until Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister for Ports, Harbours and Railway went to the area there was no official statement on the incident.
"As a human rights organisation our prime concern was the obvious lack of rapid response by relevant organisations such as National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the District Assembly." Nana Oye said after conducting its own investigations, CHRI catalogued the facts and monitored the media.
Tendering documents and a Compact Disc (CD) on the boat disaster, she admitted that there were discrepancies over the number of deaths recorded during the incident.
Mrs Mawusi Agyemfra, Programme Officer, Centre on Housing Rights, a non-governmental organisation told the committee about how the organisation became interested on issues of the re-settlers. According Mrs Agyemfra, the NGO was informed about the evictions in 2001 and therefore, contacted the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines to suspend the eviction, which it obliged.
She recalled that some of the evictees narrated how personnel of the Game and Wildlife Department manhandled them.
Mrs Agyemfra said during the eviction exercise most of the people did not only lost their lives but monies and properties. She therefore, called for the demarcation of national parks and stool lands saying some chiefs in the surrounding villages were not certain about demarcation in the area.
Mr James Annan, a 67-year-old boat manufacturer, told the committee that to halt disasters, steel boat should be used on the lake. He stressed the need for the stumps in the lake to be removed. Mr Annan pledged his commitment to commence manufacturing of steel boat for use on the lake and appealed to the government for assistance. About 65 witnesses have so far testified before the committee chaired by Mr Justice Kofi Essel Mensah.
In April this year, personnel of the Wildlife Department under the Forestry Commission allegedly evicted illegal settlers on the Dudzome Forest Reserve. It was alleged that the illegal settlers numbering over 150 were forced on a 70-passenger boat that capsized on the lake killing some of the evictees.
Hearing continues on Friday, May 19.
